Battlefield 2042 has radically shifted the sandbox seen in previous games. Every Specialist can use any gun, and the class system allows for a great deal of flexibility with gadget combinations. Specialist gadgets are certainly powerful, yet it's when you pair them with a good secondary gadget that loadouts truly start to shine.

2042 features over a dozen gadgets that any Specialist can use. Today, we'll be ranking the best of them. From Medical Crates to SOFLAMs, we'll be looking at what makes these gadgets tick, its strengths, and their weaknesses compared to the rest of the roster.

Updated October 23, 2023, by Charles Burgar: Battlefield 2042 has seen massive reworks since its launch. Classes are back, gadget restrictions have been set, and new gadgets have been added through seasonal releases. This tier list has been overhauled to reflect the new class restrictions and balance changes of 2042, ranking the best class and secondary gadgets you can use in the current sandbox.

This article focuses on non-specialist gadgets. Gadgets from Portal are excluded from this tier list.

10 Anti-Tank Mine

Anti-Tank Mines are surprisingly good in Battlefield 2042 due to the abundance of vehicles. Three mines are enough to destroy any land vehicle in the game when placed close together, and the explosion radius is quite massive. Most players would be better off with C5 since that can be detonated remotely and destroy anything—not just land vehicles. But for those who want a gadget that will give them the occasional kill, this isn't a bad choice.

9 Med-Pen

Every Assault specialist has access to the Med-Pen gadget. Using this item will immediately begin health regeneration at an accelerated rate, comparable to the effects of Falck's Syrette pistol or the Medical Crate.

While you may only spawn with one charge, the Med-Pen is invaluable for Assaults looking to pull off aggressive plays. Flanks, 1v2 situations, and vehicle sabotage become far more feasible when you have a backup heal on hand. Just remember to stick close to your Support allies once you run out of Med-Pens.

8 Recoiless M5

Paradoxically, the rocket launcher in 2042 is the worst choice for countering vehicles, at least on its own. That's due to its pitiful damage output, long reload time, and lack of ammo. Locational damage multipliers have been massively simplified in 2042, with only rear impacts offering any noticeable TTK shift for the M5.

The result is a rocket launcher that requires four rockets to destroy most armored vehicles, reduced to three if you land every shot toward the rear. But since this weapon only has three rockets, destroying a tank with solely this gadget is extremely difficult, making it near-useless for most.

However, this weapon does have two redeeming qualities:

1. It one-shots air vehicles.
2. It's a smart weapon.

The latter is the real selling point. When a vehicle is marked by a SOFLAM gadget or similar target system, this weapon will one-shot air vehicles and two-shot most ground vehicles. It also gains tracking. On its own, this rocket launcher is an underpowered gadget, yet if you have an ally who's using a SOFLAM, the M5 becomes a killing machine.

7 Ammo Crate

It's rare to run out of ammunition in Battlefield 2042 for most weapon archetypes, but what is far more likely is running out of gadget uses. Ammo Crates help in both cases, refilling your ally's ammo reserves and explosive gadget charges. This is especially useful for supporting Engineers, as the Ammo Crate will restore rocket launcher ammo. Pair this gadget with Falck to become the ultimate support character.

6 SPH Explosive Launcher

The SPH Explosive Launcher is a powerful grenade launcher exclusive to the Assault class. Each trigger pull releases an explosive dart that sticks to any surface, including enemy players and vehicles. The dart will detonate after a short delay and damage any targets in the blast radius.

You can effectively use the SPH as a grenade launcher, firing a dart within a tight cluster of enemies for easy kills. It's an invaluable tool for Breakthrough and a decent option for damaging lightly armored vehicles in Conquest. It's not quite as strong as C5, but if you can't close the gap with your current Specialist, the SPH won't let you down.

5 Prox Sensor

Spotting enemies is a great way of earning XP while assisting your team. The Prox Sensor was built for this purpose, acting as a grenade that periodically spots nearby targets. It doesn't update enemy locations in real-time like the TUG-S gadget, yet the Prox Sensor is far more versatile since it can be thrown. If you're playing Breakthrough or a CQC map like Redacted, consider loading up on Prox Sensors for some easy XP.

4 Insertion Beacon

Insertion Beacons are an invaluable tool for Breakthrough and even Conquest matches. A good Insertion Beacon makes taking objectives significantly easier, allowing your team to spawn deep in enemy lines or at a location far away from a common chokepoint. And if you're playing with a coordinated group, a single Insertion Beacon can swing an entire Breakthrough game in your team's favor. Don't underestimate a well-placed Insertion Beacon.

3 SOFLAM

If you've used the SOFLAM in Battlefield 3 or 4, this ranking should be no surprise. The SOFLAM is arguably one of the most underrated gadgets in franchise history, allowing lock-on ordnance to one-shot most vehicles and gain immense tracking. In Battlefield 2042, this gadget became much stronger.

Every rocket launcher in 2042's core modes (excluding Portal's RPG) are smart weapons, meaning the rockets will follow marked targets. If you mark an enemy vehicle with the SOFLAM, every Engineer on your team has a clear shot at destroying the marked vehicle, dealing more damage in the process.

The SOFLAM can also be used as a stationary version of Casper's Drone, acting as the ultimate gadget for farming XP through spotting. Each enemy spotted through a SOFLAM grants spotting XP. Place your SOLFAM atop a tall vantage point, and you can easily top the scoreboard with hundreds of assists.

2 Medical Crate

Healing is one of the strongest forms of utility that any character can have. The Medical Crate allows any Support specialist to buff themselves and nearby allies with an immediate HP regeneration buff. This works similarly to the Assault's Med-Pen gadget but also buffs allies. Medical Crates also have their uses replenish over time.

In every game type in Battlefield 2042, healing allies is an incredibly strong tool for winning matches. Pair this with the Support's ability to revive any downed teammate, and you become the ultimate medic class. It's redundant on Falck, but every other Support specialist can't go wrong with bringing a Medical Crate.

1 C5 Explosive

C5 Explosives are incredibly strong in 2042. Two bricks are enough to destroy most light-armor vehicles. Three can destroy any vehicle in the game. In past Battlefield games, this gadget was kept in check by the lack of infantry mobility and class restrictions.

Most of those restrictions are gone now, and the end result is an arguably overpowered gadget that is easy to use. You can pair this gadget with Mackay's Grappling Hook to throw C5 onto distant vehicles, use it on Rao to counter land vehicles, or pair it with Sundance to effectively become a bomber. If that wasn't enough, you can easily set traps in elevators or narrow corridors with this gadget to land some easy infantry kills. Once you get used to how C5 works, it's hard to use anything else.

Next: Battlefield 2042: Complete Guide And Walkthrough